Hunting Fear
by Gylfie
Summary: Naraku is an infamous kidnapper who leaves no clues or witnesses. Inu-Yasha, a well-known missing person officer, is on his trail. But what happens when the hunter becomes the hunted?
1. Prologue

_**Hunting Fear**_

Sango's breath rose in clouds of mist in the frigid winter air. Her ears were nipped with the cold and her fingers had become a raw red. She didn't dare say a word; she knew it could mean her death. The words of her kidnapper swam through her pounding head.

_If you don't move, I won't touch you. If you make any noise or rebel against me, I'm afraid I'll be forced to hurt you._

She kept her eyes closed tightly, though she knew it would be pointless to open them; a pitch-black bandana of some sort covered her eyes. Her hands were bound securely behind her; she wouldn't dare move them, anyway. A gag had been stuffed in her mouth, but she had nothing to say. The ever fearsome threat still rang in her mind. The tone of his voice was serious, and she didn't have the courage to test his temper.

_Just take the medicine, have a little nap, and when you wake up I'll be gone, and you'll be free to go. _

She had followed his instructions carefully, and she had awoken from the drug he gave her a few seconds before, but she counted to a hundred just to be sure. Very slowly and cautiously, she opened her eyes. The bandana was gone, and she could see perfectly, though it didn't matter because she had no idea where she was. The edges of her lips were raw from the friction of the gag against her mouth, but the pain was minimal. She looked at the bright blue cloudless sky that surrounded her on all sides. Then she looked down at the ground below her.

"AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaHHH!" she screamed, becoming nauseous. A hand was roughly strewn against her mouth, instantly silencing her. Her eyes quickly lined with burning tears and her stomach churned uncomfortably. She was being held by a hand over a cliff that fell into a forceful waterfall. Her captor leaned towards her face and put his mouth to her ear.

"What did I say?" he asked, shaking her harshly. The voice was not like the calm gentle on he'd spoken with only hours before. "WHAT DID I SAY?!?" His warm breath made her ear tingle.

"You said not to make a sound," she whimpered, praying desperately that he wouldn't drop her. Her breathing became labored and her heart ripped at her chest.

"That's right, _darling_," he hissed. "Now that you've broken my rules, I think you deserve a punishment."

"Please don't drop me!" she pleaded desperately in a fretful voice.

"I won't drop you, fool. Your death would be too quick to be considered a punishment. But I think your release is in jeopardy." He cackled horribly, a rough tone that grated against her ears.

"But I...I can't go back to my family?" she looked at his cruel eyes. Suddenly, her world shook as his hand slapped across her face. Tears sprang from her eyes instantly.

"Don't look at me! I don't want you to go to the police and tell them who I am! I guess it's too late for that. I guess I will have to kill you...yes, I must, and it's too much of a risk to have you running around. Wait, I'll torture you first, do what I want with you, and then kill you. That'll teach you a lesson."

"Are you going to kill me?" He burrowed into her innocent chestnut brown ones. His tone became calm and suave again.

"You're going to wish you were dead."


	2. Chapter One

_**Hunting Fear**_

Sango looked down the leaf-covered winding sidewalk that led to her high school. She took a deep breath, savoring the crisp autumn air. She sighed, her eyes darting frantically, looking for the best friend she had since the second grade.

_He said he'd be here...where is he? I hope he's okay..._

A particularly bitter preliminary winter wind nipped at her ears. She covered them with her woolen mittens, silencing the knife-like burn in them. Her eyes stung with the wind as well, but she ignored it. She was too worried about her friend to care. She wondered if he was dawdling, or if something had actually happened to him. Her heart pounded with the thought. He was only a teenage boy; he was very vulnerable in the world they lived in. Her entire body twitched with the shudder that ran down her spine. She suddenly jumped as she heard the sound of a tree branch snapping behind her.

"Houshi-sama?" she asked timidly, hoping he was just playing around with her like he always did. The wind whispered mysteriously, colored leaves swirling around her. She felt her heart speed and her breathing rush. Then it dawned on her. The victim was not Houshi-sama...it was her! She was about to scream for help when a hand was clamped over her mouth and a cotton swab was thrust under her nose.

She struggled violently, but it was useless. She was no match against her captor. Her lungs screamed with agony as she held her breath. She finally took a sobbing breath and passed into the world of unconscious oblivion.

Inu-Yasha sat at his cluttered mahogany desk, deep in thought. He was normally worked around the clock, overloaded with various cases of missing people, finds on his latest cases, or direct investigation of any clues or crime scenes. Time had rolled into late November, and he was surprised that all of his work had come to a screeching stop. He had not a case, minor or major, in the last couple of weeks, which was very rare, especially during the holidays. He wondered if it was a blessed break, or a sign of a building plot or crime. He was somewhat well-known, maybe because he had never left a case unsolved, so he knew that it wasn't a case of people not reporting their cases. He pondered the situation in deep thought, but he could not come up with anything but speculation.

"Mr. Hanyou?" a voice asked, knocking on the nard wooden door.

"Yes?" he replied, turning in his chair to face his colleague, Koga Ooakmi. "What's up, furry legs?" A grin played at his lips.

"Nothin' but the sky, dog breath," he replied in a grim tone, horribly clashing with his normal playful reply to this question.

"What's the matter?" he asked in an instant, backing out of his chair.

"There's an urgent call on line one. It's some guy who sounds pretty distressed. His friend, a senior at high school, has been missing now for eight hours or more. She did not attend any of her classes today, according to her teachers' records. She hasn't been spotted and no evidence has been revealed."

"Hmmm..." Inu-Yasha said, scratching his chin. "It sounds like an interesting case. Are there any clues?"

"None, sir."

"Any crime scene?"

"Nope."

"Parents we can contact?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Witnesses? Suspects? Anything?"

"Not a single lead except the hours she's been missing." To his friend's surprise, Inu-Yasha looked happy.

"Well, that solves my case. Why don't you connect this man to my office line, Koga?"

"Will do, sir." He left as soon as he said this, the door shutting gently behind him. Inu-Yasha knew at once that this was the big case he had expected. With not a single clue or lead, it seemed that the kidnapper was very cunning and had planned well or had plenty of experience. Though this was the one case that Inu-Yasha had ever encountered that didn't have a foundation to begin with, but this kidnapper shared a trait that all criminals carry. They could all be outsmarted.

He jumped out of his thoughts as the phone rang loudly, irritating his sensitive ears. He picked it up, pulling out a pen and paper so he could write down all the details he could extract from the conversation.

"Hello, you're speaking to Mr. Hanyou of the missing person's network of Tokyo police department. What seems to be the problem?"

"Hello," was the fretful reply of the man on the other line. "I am Miroku Houshi, and I'm reporting a disappearance.

"What is your relation to the missing person, and what is her name? If applicable, does she have any family we can contact, Inu-Yasha said calmly, drumming his pencil against his desk.

"She's my best friend. Her entire family was killed when she was sixteen, and she lives in an apartment alone. She was supposed to meet me this morning before school, but when I came, she was no one where to be found. Her teachers say she didn't attend any of her classes, and the landowner of the apartment complex said she hadn't signed in, and he hadn't seen her at all, either. She's been gone now for over nine hours."

Inu-Yasha quickly scribbled the information down, though he already knew some of it. He paused for a quick thought and then returned to the call.

"Well, is there any more information you can give me about your friend or her disappearance? Anything helps, and the smallest thing can help bring her home."

"She weighs about one-hundred and twenty pounds, she's about five eight in stature, her hair and eyes are a chestnut brown, she can outwit almost anyone, and she doesn't succumb to anything. She's never late, either, and that's why I was worried in the first place."

Inu-Yasha added it to his notes.

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Houshi. We'll call you if we find her or any information."

"Okay," he replied in a stressed-out voice. Inu-Yasha put the phone down and studied the information he had. He sighed. With no leads, this was going to be a hard case to crack.

"Inu?" He looked up to see Koga again. He smiled at him.

"Yes?"

"They do have one suspect."

"And who would that be?"

"Naraku. Naraku Omnigumu."


	3. Chapter Two

_**Hunting Fear**_

Sango cried out in an agonized scream. A red-hot lead bullet had punctured her leg. Tears ran down her cheeks, which were smudged with the dirt from the ground. She had fallen to the ground minutes before as her captor viciously lashed at her. He seemed to experience vast pleasure from her screams and pain. He felt no sympathy or mercy towards her.

"Please stop," she pleaded through gritted teeth, clenching her fist. He laughed bitterly, kneeling beside her. She let out a sob and thrust her face into the dirt, hiding herself from his acidic stare. He ran his finger down her neck, receiving a gasp. He seductively lifted her chin and fixed his eyes on hers, trapping her in his ensnaring gaze.

"You have no right to ask me for anything." He slapped his hand across her face as he had several times before.

"STOP IT!" she cried loudly, no longer able to conceal her emotions. He threw back his head and chortled. She narrowed her eyes and locked them on his, only to become mesmerized by his deep violet ones.

"I love it when you're angry. Your lips become so full and red, your cheeks glow with a pink glaze, and your breathing becomes so soft and labored..."

"STOP!!!" she shook her head violently, covering her ears. She would not succumb to him. She had to resist him. She wished he would just kill her...

Inu-Yasha studied the criminal record of Naraku Omnigumu, trying to extract all the facts he could. The man had never been caught or left a crumb of evidence, but he was a well-known kidnapper. He preyed on women exclusively, but he would kill any gender that stood in his way. He had long, wavy dark hair, and no one had seen his face and lived, but it was believed he had deep red lips and blue markings over his eyes. He was merciless, and usually tortured victims, then killed them, if they survived the initial treatment. He had been spotted in many cities all across Japan, and after his sighting, a series of kidnappings spread across the city. No bodies or victims had ever been recovered. Inu-Yasha sighed. He wasn't getting anywhere on the case or on Naraku.

"Have you found anything?" Koga asked, poking his head in through the door.

"Yeah, loads...I found everything. I practically solved the case." Inu-Yasha muttered in a monotone. Koga laughed and walked in.

"I'm sorry you're having a hard time. I think I can help you, though."

"Yes?" Inu-Yasha asked, raising an eyebrow but not looking up from his work.

"Here, this is a file on Naraku. It was in the newspaper this morning. I don't know if it'll help, but I figured you couldn't get any worse on a case like this." Inu-Yasha looked up and grabbed the paper from him. He skimmed through the paper quickly.

"Thanks." He turned his eyes back to the criminal file.

"Read it! I promise it will help you!" Inu-Yasha sighed in an annoyed tone. He glared at Koga and looked at the paper. He was immediately intrigued by the screaming head lines on the front page.

_**Infamous Kidnapper Naraku Spotted in Tokyo!!!**_

"What?" Inu-Yasha demanded, angry with himself for not taking Koga's advice immediately. He read through the article carefully, hoping to find even the smallest clue embedded deeply within the report. He found just what he was looking for...a location. Though he didn't always trust a journalist's words, they were sometimes his greatest lead in particularly puzzling cases.

"Did you find anything of interest?" Koga asked, looking at the article over his friend's shoulder.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Inu-Yasha replied. "Thank you very much, Koga. This has helped."

"I read it myself...I know the case isn't mine, but I was wondering if I could come along on an investigation of the location?"

"I wouldn't normally take an unauthorized person such as your self on such a large-scale case, but since you found this for me, I'll make an exception."

"Thank-you! You won't regret this. I'll help as much as I can."

"Koga, if you don't mind me asking, why do you want to come along?" Koga hesitated before replying, biting his lip and reviewing his reasons mentally.

"Well..." he paused momentarily, restraining his tears. "About two years ago, my beautiful fiancé Ayame was kidnapped by Naraku. She...she was never found, no matter how hard everyone tried to find her. I think the worst part was not being able to know where she was, if she was dead, or if she was still alive in deep pain, calling my name..." he trailed off, not able to go on any further. Inu-Yasha wrapped his arm around his shoulder.

"I've never given up on a case, or left one unsolved. We're going to find this girl, and it will be a major break-through. Maybe...we'll find things on Ayame, and your mind can finally be at peace." Koga smiled through teary eyes.

"I know, that's why I was so happy when you said I could come along."

"So we both helped each other."

"Yeah."

Thirty minutes later, Inu-Yasha, Koga, and a bunch of other crime scene investigators had arrived at the supposed crime scene, a national park a couple miles away from a small town.

"Everyone, _quiet_." Inu-Yasha warned.

"Why keep it down? Sango and I are having a great time out here. Why don't you join our party?" Inu-Yasha cursed under his breath, keeping a sure grip on his gun that he'd stuffed into his belt just in case. They'd been outsmarted; they'd fallen right into his trap. Naraku was to their back, they did not know what awaited them when they turned. Holding his breath, Inu-Yasha motioned to the men to cautiously turn and face the suspect.

A gun shot thundered.


	4. Chapter Three

_**Hunting Fear**_

Inu-Yasha's long silver hair ruffled as the bullet whizzed past his head. Being well-trained and experienced, he had just the right agility level to dodge such attacks. Naraku cackled, though his shot had been pointless. He bit his lip. Naraku had started out a step ahead. He carefully cocked his gun as silently as possible and curled his fingers around its sleek metal shape.

He whirled around abruptly, pointing the gun straight forward, where he estimated Naraku's forehead was. Though he had aimed almost perfectly, he found himself staring down the cold barrel of a gun. The kidnapper smirked, not afraid of death, and also knowing that he still had the upper-hand over the police. Sango was, of course, hidden elsewhere, but he needed to keep these men on their toes and in the same place so that they wouldn't get any closer than he wanted them to...Sango would be hard to find, but he'd heard that Inu-Yasha was good. Confidence was limited, for both sides.

"Drop your weapon," Inu-Yasha commanded calmly. Naraku spat on the ground.

"Are you suggesting a fist fight, Inu?" he asked smugly, clicking his tongue. "I thought that was below your standards."

"I carry the power of the state and federal governments. I am authorized to command you, and you are obligated to comply." Inu-Yasha kept a level-head and a cool disposition. Naraku may have the control of the situation currently, but Inu-Yasha was still in charge of his mind. He was not one to fall for mind tricks.

"I don't care what you do or don't have."

"It doesn't matter. You're still under my command."

"Are you going to make me do what you say?"

"If I have to use force, so be it. I would like to keep the peace, but..." Naraku clamped down on his trigger. Inu-Yasha sprung into action, positioning his body to dodge.

"So you are scared."

"I do not betray my emotions, no matter what they are. It's my duty to be impassive." When Naraku pulled on his trigger, a bullet was emitted. Inu-Yasha, not expecting this, was hit by the burning lead. He cried out in pain, blood spilling out of his injured arm, and curses streaming out of his mouth. Naraku smiled, throwing his weapon to the ground. Inu-Yasha gritted his teeth, carefully concealing his gun beneath his vest.

"You obviously show your pain."

"It's something I need to work on." He smiled, suddenly springing into action and pulling the trigger on his gun. The unsuspecting Naraku replied to the shot with a groan and cry of pain. Not pausing to look where the bullet had struck his foe, he turned to his tense men.

"Hold him down, he's temporarily weakened. Take him into custody, to the department, if you can. I'm going to search for the girl."

"Yes, sir." They replied in unison, hurrying off. Inu-Yasha looked at his bleeding arm. He was surprised to realize that he bullet had only grazed his arm, causing a minor superficial wound. He took a spare bandage out of his first-aid kit, carefully wrapping around his wound. Why did it hurt so much?

Taking a deep breath, he plunged into the woods.


	5. Chapter Four

_**Hunting Fear**_

_Flashback_

Ayame ran desperately. She had to escape him. Her heart thudded against her chest. The pounding was so loud, she was sure he would hear it and find her. That was why she had to keep running away. She had to get away from him. The pain he caused he her left scars, and there was nothing she could do about that, but she could prevent further damage if she managed to slip out of his clutches.

Her breathing had become ragged, and her legs weak, but she had to keep running! She had to! Her vision blurred and everything seemed to stop. Her head lolled and her body leaned dangerously forward. With a last defiant step, she plunged to the cold ground. Her skin had become clammy and moist. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head slowly.

A cry ripped from her burning throat as she was yanked upwards by her long, red hair. The familiar claws dug into her shoulder. Blood quickly stained her clothes red. Her mouth hung slightly open and her eyes stung as she looked into his cruel eyes. With a hideous grin, he pulled out a jagged knife. Knowing what was about to happen, she turned away. The knife was plunged into her back.


	6. Chapter Five

_**Hunting Fear**_

Inu-Yasha was having an internal conflict. As he got deeper into the woods, he became deeper in his thought. It seemed unethical that they had caught Naraku so easily, with such ease. The infamous kidnapper was scheming something, he was sure of it. But what was the plan? Was he simply formatting an escape, or a future attack on the police department? Or, perhaps, did he have compliances? What was the plan?

He was somewhat tempted to let the suspect go, so that he would limit the danger of an ambush on his colleagues. But was it one of Naraku's mind tricks? Is this what he wanted him to think? Was he using reversed psychology? Surely a criminal with his reputation was doing something. He had to be. Or was he simply outsmarted?

He decided to abandon the subject for now so he could focus on the task at hand. As Koga had informed him, there were many other girls that Naraku had taken that had not been found. This bothered him. Why had he not heard of Naraku until Sango's kidnapping and he had pulled up his record? Naraku seemed to move around. It was a smart tactic. He would be harder to find, and there would be "fresh" victims. Tracing Naraku's line of kidnappings could prove to be difficult. But that was for the later investigation. Chiding himself for going off the subject, he hurried into the woods, his beam of light from his flashlight guiding him.

"Sango," he called softly. Naraku said he had hidden her safely away, but he believed it was another mind trick. She was nearby, he could feel it. If there was one thing he had learned throughout his service, it was to trust your gut. Hunches of his often turned out to be right and helpful. So when he had a feeling Sango was within his reach, he knew he would find her. He walked slowly and circled around, not wanting to miss a single detail or possible clue.

He jumped as he heard loud sobbing. The cries were obviously from a female, he judged from the high pitch. Was it Sango? He hurried off to the source of the frantic sobs.

"Sango? Is that you?" he called. The only reply was continuous wailing. Soon, only a thick thicket of branches stood between him and the source of the sound. Unconsciously holding his breath, he pushed the trees away. The trees parted to reveal a small child crying. Her clothing was stained with blood, and she seemed to be in hysterics.

"Little girl?" he asked tentatively. The girl shot up, startled.

"Please don't hurt Rin." She pleaded, wiping her cheeks dry and trying to look tough. He walked towards her, and she flinched.

"I'm not here to hurt you, sweetheart. I'm here to bring you back home. Naraku..." She froze at the name, in fear and hatred. Her eyes narrowed and she studied him intently.

"Naraku..." she hissed.

"Yes, we have captured him. We came here to rescue you and any of his victims."

"How can Rin trust you?" He held out his police badge for her to see. The golden star gleamed in the light of his flashlight.

"My name is Rin," she sighed, after several minutes of studying the badge. He glanced at her. She seemed only seven, but he could not tell because of the smudges of dirt across her features. Her black hair was mussed, her clothes were ragged and dirty, but her eyes shone brightly through it all. She spoke in third-person.

"Rin." He repeated.

"There are others girls. Rin is the youngest, but Rin's been here for awhile. A new girl came in a day or two ago."

"Do you know her name?" he asked excitedly.

"Rin don't know _her_ name yet. But Rin known others here for years."

"How many women are here?"

"A lot. We used to have more, but some died because of their injuries, and others he just killed."

"Are they all in the same place?"

"No."

"Are they in this forest?" She shook her head.

"He moves us around a lot; he separates us and scatters us all over the place."

"Hmmmm...." He scratched his chin thoughtfully. This added a problem. "How many women are here other than you?"

"Two, at least, Rin think two. The new girl and Ayame."

"Ayame?" The name rang a bell. He remembered Koga mentioning her.

"Can you lead me to them?"

"Rin can tell you where Ayame is, but Rin have no idea where he's keeping the new girl. Naraku seemed quite fond of her. He's a stupid womanizer."

"I see. Well, bring me to Ayame." The two walked confidently forward.

"Ayame is hurt really badly. She tried to escape, Rin think. She has the strongest will I've ever seen. She never gives up, but Naraku doesn't either, unfortunately. Rin don't know what he did to her as punishment, but Rin think she's close to death." He was amazed that the child could talk about death so easily. She must have been used to seeing it. He wondered how long she had been in Naraku's custody.

"Rin, how long have you been Naraku's captive?"

"Rin not really sure. Rin never really learned to count, so Rin couldn't tell you. Rin was brought here with my mother, according to the women that witnessed Rin's capture. Rin was still a baby, but not an infant. Rin was a year or so old, Rin could walk, and Rin knew a few words." She shrugged. "Rin don't really know. Rin's mother died sometime ago."

"I'm sorry."

"Apologies won't bring her back." The two walked in silence. Rin seemed to know her way around the forest, even though his flashlight was dimming. He was glad of that, though he didn't enjoy her company. Her way of speech was somewhat unique, and she had a sour attitude. Inu-Yasha's sensitive nose instantly picked up the scent of blood, making him gag.

"You're a Hanyou, aren't you?"

"Don't start me on demonic blood purity."

"Fine. Rin won't."

"Is Ayame here?"

"Yes."

A/N: The grammatical mistakes in Rin's dialogue were intentional. Please review! My friend has an adorable Miroku and Sango chibi for me if I get fifty reviews. I will display it on my author's page for all of you to see. Please review! Also, I have a poll. Should this fic be a Sango/Miroku romance, or and Inu/Sango romance? Or perhaps a love triangle? Send a review with your vote, and the results will be posted and used for the story!!! Please review. Updating will began soon, sooner if I get a lot of reviews. Thanks for reading and all the reviews I've gotten already! They are appreciated.


	7. Chapter Six

_**Hunting Fear**_

Inu-Yasha looked at the mangled woman before him. Ayame was beautiful, just as Koga had said, but the state she was in was neither beautiful nor desirable. Dried blood and dirt stained her ripped clothes, and fresh blood was oozing out of a stab wound. Her eyes were glazed over, though she was still conscious. Her breathing was calm, though her heart beat was rapid, according to the pulse he had previously measured. She occasionally moaned, though it was nothing close to communication.

Rin stayed close to his side, and she appeared very compassionate towards her friend. Inu-Yasha was somewhat nervous; he knew this woman's life was on a time limit, if she was even able to be saved from death's clutches. He was sprinting back to his car, afraid that he would drop her; afraid that she might awaken from her dazed state and struggle, or his worst fear...that she would die in his arms. Her tongue was lolling and her head was rolling. His panic beat with his terrified as he realized she was beginning to enter a seizure-like state.

"Rin?" he yelled desperately, breathless from fear and his tiring legs. Her head lifted to lock eyes with him. "My cell phone is in my pocket...I want you to press the number three and tell my teammates that I've got a victim and she's going to need urgent care immediately. Can you do that for me?"

She nodded and grabbed the small phone out of his pocket, pressing down hard on the three. He held his breath as he waited. She waited forever for someone on the other line to answer, but after ten minutes of waiting, she gave up. "No one was there."


	8. To be Continued

_**Hunting Fear**_

A note to all my readers: I am very happy with how this story has come along and the popularity it has received. (thirty-one reviews, whoa!) Some of you left a review every chapter, some of you came in the middle of the story. Whatever your reasons for reading my story, thank you. Your support is appreciated. Due to AP classes, I have not been able to update as often, as some of you have noticed...anyway, this story is soon to come to an end. I feel bad that I haven't been able to put in a lot of work lately, and I feel like the quality of the chapters is beginning to degrade with each update. In order to preserve the goody-goodness you all love, I think this is going to be the last chapter, the end of the book. Don't panic, though, I am going to start a sequel soon, and with Christmas break approaching, I may be able to contribute a chapter a day. I am planning on a trilogy. So keep reading!! I may include a sneak preview of the sequel if this chapter does well.

**BOOM!**

Panicked men ran across the sizzling forest, charred wood flying through the ash-choked air. Amongst them was a single man, walking calmly though the midst of the chaos, a deep laugh ringing from his throat. His hands, clean to the mundane eye, were stained with the blood of many victims. He licked his bloody-red lips, baring his pointed teeth. The fires of hell burned in his eyes.

A single dying man lay there, his eyes smarting with the smoke, and his lungs charred with the ashes. Koga's eyes burned with a fire as well. A single though pulsed through his mind as his weak body shuddered. He had to find Ayame. He had to save her. He had to be with her. He could feel her heart beating strongly within his own, he could sense her presence. He could feel her wounds across his own chest. His teeth gritted as he glowered at the evil man before him. He had caused her pain; he had separated them. That bond was not to be strained.

"You're mine, Naraku!" he screamed with the last of his energy, almost completely powered by his spiteful will. Blood intertwined with his tears and sweat, making it nearly impossible to see. A smirk curled over Naraku's hideous lips.

"Do you pose a challenge?"

"No, I pose a defeat!" Before either man could react to the powerful words of hate, Koga's fingers had locked the trigger of his gun, an aim straight and true for Naraku's tainted heart. There were a few smitten seconds of silence. Neither man could process the events in their brain, they were both stunned. The puncture in Naraku's chest soon ran with blood. With a pitiful scream, the villain fell to the ground, clutching at his heart, if he possessed one.

The cocky Koga smirked one last time before he fell to the earth as well, the gun slipping from his hand. His combined exhaustion and shock had stopped his own heart. The murderer had one last kill, but he had been killed by his own deeds and actions. The only blood shed then after was of the sinful.

Inu-Yasha shook his head. Rin looked at him sadly. His fears were her own, though she had already confirmed them. She could feel disaster; she could feel the pain of Naraku's victims. He stared hollowly at his cell phone. He could feel disaster as well.

"Inu?" Rin asked softly.

"Yes, Rin?"

"Koga is dead." Inu-Yasha closed his eyes tightly, turning away from the words, but he knew it was true. He could feel the lost spirit of Koga wandering, ever searching for his beloved Ayame. The icy stab in his heart spilled the blood of grief. There were others that had been lost as well, others that had suffered, but none hit Inu quite as hard as the loss of his life-long companion. Rin looked down, not regretful of her words, but empathetic to her friend.

"Naraku is dead as well." Rin averted her eyes. She knew it could not compensate for a brother's death. No restitution was satisfactory other than reuniting in heaven. Inu would always thirst for revenge, or the feel of his companion at his side, but he would find neither, at least not in the time that he dwelled in mortality. But now he would wander eternally through the deep wallows of self-pity.

"I can feel Ayame's spirit leaving her as well." Rin's eyes were filled with tears, though inside, a joy burned with in her. The lovers would be reunited after all.

"No!" he cried out angrily. Abundant tears slid down his hot cheeks. "We have to save her, Koga may be dead, but I promised I would bring her back to him. I promised she wouldn't get hurt." His voice started to crack. The hard shell of emotional stability had cracked. He started to run vainly forward.

"No." Rin said calmly. Tears were on her face as well, dripping onto his arm as she held him firmly. "Don't you see? We cannot change her fate. She is going to die, Inu-Yasha. But there is hope. She will be with Koga, in a better place, a dwelling of peace and rest. She will be with Koga, and she will not be harmed. Injuries will leave her in that state."

Inu-Yasha turned his face from her, but he felt within his heart as well. He owed Koga his love; he was not one to stand in the place of love, or love and death. Even in death, their love would go on. Ayame slowly left life behind in his arms.

There was still one mission left unaccomplished: finding Sango.

"Wake up." A soft serenaded. Sango's chestnut orbs slowly opened, revealing the beautiful sunshine of a woman. She blinked softly, her eyelashes fluttering. Her eyebrows knitted in confusion as she stared into unfamiliar yellow irises.

"Who are you?" she asked in a whisper, the only voice she could manage.

"Inu-Yasha, I'm a police officer. I was sent to rescue you. I found you last night, and I brought you here to get fixed up." Sango looked around, analyzing her surroundings. The white walls shone brightly at her. She rubbed her eyes and put her palm on her forehead. She was tired, she felt entirely wasted. Her mind was somewhat blank, but she did not wish to remember the events of the last couple of days. She just needed some rest.

Inu-Yasha laughed. "Late night, huh?" She nodded. "Well, I'll leave you alone in a second, but I thought you might want to be....reunited."

Before she had the chance to process his words, a familiar head poked his head in the doorway.

"Miroku!!" she cried out happily. He dashed in, wrapping his strong arms around her. Inu-Yasha slowly slipped from the room. Warm tears and words of joy exchanged between the two for several moments. For a couple of moments, the two just embraced. They had longed for each other for so long it seemed as though it has been an eternity. Soon, he was pulled away, leaving Sango to her thoughts.

There was an element of strong emotion in Inu-Yasha's voice. There had been fresh mourning, the hallow hole of loss in one's heart, and something Sango had not expected....jealousy.

Gylfie


End file.
